Battle of Mława
'''The Battle Of Mlawa (Defence of the Mlawa Position) '''happened between September 1 and September 3, 1939. It took place in the town of mlawa in northern poland, it was one of the first battles of the invasion of Poland. Fought between the invading German 3rd Army under General Georg von Kuchler and the defending Polish Modlin Army under general Krukowicz-Przedrzymirski. Pre-Battle The German-Polish boarder was 120km north of Warsaw. In 1939 the Polish Modlin Army led by Krukowicz-Przedrzymirski was the main defense guarding the Polish boarders from the north. It was made to stop enemy armies from entering Warsaw the Modlin fortress. The defenses were upgraded with field fortifications and concert bunkers shortly before the war began. The main line of defence, was between the Narew and Vistula rivers, where a number of 19th century fortifications lay. However the plains north of here were almost defenseless. To help in case of war, the Modlin Army would be sent to the boarder with East Prussia and would defend that line before falling back to defend the line of the Narew and Vistula Rivers. The 20th Infantry division was assigned to the Modlin Army and were sent to Mlawa, along with large amounts of concert and other defense supplies. Trenches and concrete bunkers, protected from enamys by anti-tank trenches and obstacles, was to be constructed along a low glacial hill overlooking the valley of the Mławka river, to the north. In the center, a swampy terrain of the Niemyje Marshes was located, which was virtually impossible to pass by enemy armored vehicles. This swamp divided the area into two separate flanks. The western section was to be reinforced with 68 concrete bunkers. The eastern, much shorter, with 25 bunkers.. Battle First Day On September 1 1939 the Polish line of defense manned by the Infantry Division was attacked by the 1st Army Corps under General Walter Petzel, armed with TAnks and warplanes. The assault by the Germans was repelled by the Polish 37mm Armata ppanc. ez. 36 anti-tank guns. The Germans sent in a number of attacks but all were broken and the Germans were forced to retreat to their initial positions. Second Day On September 2 1939, in the afternoon, the Germans started an artillery bombardment of the Polish right flank (Rzegnow). After two hours, the assault started by the Germans in close combat. The polish forces started to waver, the counterattack of the Polish 79th Infantry Regiment failed. As a result the commander of the Polish Modlin Army ordered the 20th Division to extend further eastwards and prepared the defense of its right flank between the villages of Dębsk and Nosarzewo. At the same time the 8th Infantry Division was ordered to prepare a counterattack. Third Day On September 3 1939, in the early morning hours, the 8th Division arrived. The army was split by its commander into two groups adn attack in two directions: towards Grudusk east of Mlawa and towards Przasnysz. But because of conflicting orders and the Germans themselves there was confusion in the Polish forces. In the end most of the division was destroyed and only the 21st Infantry Regiment of Stanislaw Sosabowski managed to flee to the Modlin Fortress. The Germans still failed in their attacks of both flanks of the 20th Infantry Division. The Ending The Germans finally got through the Polish antitank barriers and used civilians as human shields as they captured several bunkers on the left flank of the Polish forces. On the right flank to the east of the swamps, the Germans finally got through the 79th Infantry Regiment with the Wodrig Corps. General Emil Krukowicz-Przedrymirski, afraid of being outflanked by the enamy germans coming in at speed decided to move the 20th division and the the little that was left of the 8th towards Warsaw and Modlin and then they finally abandoned their positions. The retreat started on the 4th of September 1939. The Germans mechanised units had suffered high losses and could not continue to chase after the fleeing Polish, but the polish solders were still bombard by the Germans luftwaffe fly over head. There were heavy losses in both sides, the Polish and Germans. The battle was however won by the Germans.Category:1939 Category:Battles Category:Battles in the Eastern Front